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RAWALPINDI, Aug 29: Human rights activists and religious clerics from troubled Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) on Wednesday urged government to ensure safety of passengers traveling on Karakuram Highway (KKH) and arrest the miscreants involved in terrorising the innocent people in the area.

Speaking at a news conference here at Rawalpindi Press Club, members of Gilgit-Baltistan Human Rights Forum criticised the government’s failure in maintaining law and order on a total area of just four kilometers.

They said in the presence of 10,000 security forces deployed in Gilgit the poor law and order was beyond comprehension.

Wilayat Ali Balti, general secretary of the forum, demanded the government to constitute a fact-finding mission in order to expose the killers and militants involved in disturbing peace in the area.

“Residents of GB are disappointed over the silence of Supreme Court on the issue of Gilgit at a time when UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has expressed sorry over the situation in this troubled area,” Allama Abdul Kareem, a religious cleric in Gilgit, said.

They said the situation would worsen if not controlled. He dispelled the impression that it was sectarian strife and observed that a third force was involved in disturbing peace in the region.

“We demand the government and Supreme Court to constitute a fact-finding mission in order to nip the evil in the bud to avoid such violence in future. We would stage demonstration on Constitution Avenue if our demands fall on deaf ears,” they said.